Durham Shafted

Yesterday’s “punishment” handed out by the ECB to Durham CCC was as violent and brutal a shafting as Yates has ever seen. Anywhere. The ECB completely ignored their own part in affairs – it was the ECB who encouraged Durham to become part of a system that would leave them desperately reliant on getting a test match to cover the costs of their applying for the right to host it – and handed down a massively disproportionate and unfair sanctioning.

It goes without saying that Yates is not impressed by this latest batch of imbecility from the ECB. ECB sanctioning decisions have no right of appeal, just like the kangaroo court that is the Cricket Disciplinary Committee, so those affected by the decision can’t do a damn thing about it.

Repulsive Rod’s (that’s Bransgrove btw) proved his loyalty to The Party last week by going Full Goebbels in a statement that kept his Party card up to date and demonstrating his (and Hampshire’s) worthiness to benefit from whatever shafting was handed out to Durham. It was a test of faith, of loyalty and Bransgrove made sure he passed it with flying colours.

The environment the ECB management have created is akin to that of a single party state. Keep your card up to date, demonstrate your unflinching loyalty, compliance and support and you will remain unpunished and maybe occasionally bestowed with something to ensure your continued obeisance. Make any utterance or suggestion of anything less than total compliance and you will pay.

Be clear on this: Hampshire deserved relegation after winning only two games last season. Two games. Kent came second in Division Two and are considerably more deserving of playing in Division One than Hampshire. Consider that Kent voted against the T20 City stitch up; Hampshire did not. Hampshire have been rewarded for that.

This is what happens when you get mediocre people in positions of power which they should not have and do not deserve; they create an environment which benefits them with mechanisms that reinforce their power. They surround themselves with lickspittles and fawning crawlers who dare not raise an eyebrow never mind a critical opinion; anyone who does will get their just desserts.

This is just the kind of thing Damian Collins and his Culture, Media and Sport Committee should be getting involved in. Yates can’t recall seeing anything about Giles Clarke being hauled before that Committee; was Collins’ talk of that in February just soundbites and bluster?

Governance should be transparent and free from the influences of fawning arse kissing.